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Morning Skin Care Routine for 20 Year Olds

November 16, 2018

Although I am only in my early 20’s, I am a strong believer that it is never too soon to begin the anti-aging process. I’ve done a lot of experimentation with products over the past few years and have found an easy and affordable skincare routine that works for me. Since I am young with sensitive skin, I try to avoid using too many products or anything too harsh. I’ve written briefly about this before in my Morning Self-Care Routine post, but wanted to go into a bit more detail about the products I use. My routine is only 4 steps with an additional step 2-3 times a week. This is my morning skin care routine and products that I recommend if you’re also a young 20 year old looking to ease into the anti-aging process.

Step 1: Cleanse

The first step is one hopefully we all do already. When I was in high school, I used to use cleansers from Olay and Lush that caused terrible breakouts. After speaking with a dermatologist, I found that these cleansers were way too harsh on my skin. She recommended I try using just a bar of Dove soap twice a day, and I’ve been using this ever since. Heavy cleansers can irritate your skin and clog your pores even more. You don’t need anything fancy to wash your face, you might find a bar of Dove soap works best for you too. After using this to cleanse my face, I’ll grab a makeup wipe if necessary to wipe away the remainder of my eye makeup.

Step 2: Antioxidants

I decided to add an antioxidant toner to my routine to help with the anti-aging process. An antioxidant toner is not only refreshing, but it is also full of vitamins that will protect your skin. My favorite toner is Grace Antioxidant Organic Facial Toner. It’s an effective and refreshing toner that can also be used as a setting spray. Along with its antioxidants, this toner contains aloe vera, chamomile, tea tree, and lavender.

Step 3: Moisturize

My final step is to moisturize. I use CeraVe AM Face Moisturizer with SPF 30. Of course on days I know I’ll be out in the sun a lot, I’ll add another layer of sunscreen, but I find this level of SPF is suitable for the winter seasons. However, when using an antioxidant, your sensitivity to the sun can be increased so it is vital to use a good SPF. This moisturizer is especially great for those with acne prone skin because it’s very light and won’t clog your pores with any oils.

Step 4: Eye Cream

I suffer from very bad dark circles and am still seeking the perfect eye cream to get rid of the natural fine lines and puffiness. I’ve been using the RoC Retinol Correction Sensitive Eye Cream and I’ll be honest- it’s alright. It hasn’t really cleared up my dark circles or any fine lines, but it does feel refreshing on the skin and sits well under makeup. I’m definitely looking into finding a new eye cream, as I wouldn’t really recommend this one, but it also isn’t the worst. An eye cream that I previously used that might be a bit more effective is Origins GinZing Refreshing Eye Cream. I like this one because there is a slight pigment in it that will combat circles, and when kept in the fridge before applying, the cream feels very cool against the eyes and makes eyes appear less puffy. Do you have any eye cream recommendations? I’m looking to try a new one and would love to hear about it!

Bonus Step: Exfoliate

I exfoliate after I cleanse about 2-3 times a week. Like my cleanser, I try to avoid using any scrubs that are too harsh. I use natural scrubs and have found that homemade scrubs are just as effective as any scrubs you can buy at the store. In fact, I even made a recipe for a DIY scrub that you can find here. Don’t use a scrub too often, as it can irritate your skin and clog up your pores. A few times a week is just enough to clear away any dead skin that has built up on your face.

Of course, everyone’s skin is different and what works for me, may not work for you! If you are someone with sensitive, acne-prone, combination skin, then these are products I recommend for you to try. If you suffer greatly from acne like I previously did, you should definitely speak with your dermatologist to see what might be best for you! I do think it is important to cleanse, moisturize, and incorporate some form of antioxidant and SPF in your skincare routine, but I also think it’s important to play around with products to see what works best for your skin type!

I never heard that antioxidants increase sun sensitivity? The fight the free radicals that are created by sun exposure, so it should be the other way round. Not that they replace sunscreen by any means, but they do protect.

Sorry wasn’t clear on that one! This specific toner I am recommending could cause sun sensitivity because it contains Retinol Palmitate (Vitamin A). However, most antioxidants can be great for protecting against the sun. It’s important to check the ingredients of what you are using and to regardless, wear sunscreen 🙂